[FlobHobNob]

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What portable amp you suggest me then for my DT770's ?

Like I said the fiio e11 works wonders!

 

[bareyb]

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But then the HE 500 is not a portable headphone in any sense--too big, too heavy, doesn't fold, has thick long cord (although it is detachable) and is too hard to drive.

True, at 89.5 dB efficiency they aren't exactly easy to drive. I personally think if you're looking for something high end on the go, it's hard to beat the matchup of the HE400 and the FiiO E17. It gets as loud as anyone would ever want and the Bass goes on for days. The true test of any Amp is how it handles Bass. That's where the E17 really shines. Taut, DEEP, controlled Bass. FiiO should be proud to put out such quality at such a reasonable price. They could easily charge more. 
 
ETA: To the owners of FiiO: You next BIG product is going to be the NEW and improved E17 which will have everything it has now, but also include a Midrange Tone Control and give it the same POWER output of the new E12. You could charge $249.00 for it all day long and people would be lining up to buy them. I know I would. 

 

[Urbex Girl]

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True, at 89.5 dB efficiency they aren't exactly easy to drive. I personally think if you're looking for something high end on the go, it's hard to beat the matchup of the HE400 and the FiiO E17. It gets as loud as anyone would ever want and the Bass goes on for days. The true test of any Amp is how it handles Bass. That's where the E17 really shines. Taut, DEEP, controlled Bass. FiiO should be proud to put out such quality at such a reasonable price. They could easily charge more. 
 
ETA: To the owners of FiiO: You next BIG product is going to be the NEW and improved E17 which will have everything it has now, but also include a Midrange Tone Control and give it the same POWER output of the new E12. You could charge $249.00 for it all day long and people would be lining up to buy them. I know I would. 

I wonder  why Fiio is not making portable amps with Cirrus Logic flavour

 

[BananaOoyoo]

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I got those refurbed Amperiors and it's a good way to to go.  The Amperiors are basically an improved HD25-1 II.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/most-excellent-sennheiser-amperior-and-hd-25-1-ii
 
The M80 are good bass oriented cans without going all the way to basshead territory. See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/v-moda-crossfade-m-80-and-v-80-true-blood-headphones
 
Haven't heard the $100 UE4000.  There are reports of the cable falling out.

One (hopefully final!) question! I was about to buy the Amperiors when a friend suggested the Audio Technica ES7. They're about $60 cheaper than the Amperiors and can be bought new from buydig.
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ATHES7BK
 
How do these compare? I haven't been able to find a frequency response graph for these, and I wasn't sure whether they would meet my expectations (though reviews have been very good). Though not as important, they do look really nice and are really compact.

 

[akariousami]

Hi everyone!
I've sort of been going crazy looking for a set of new headphones and it's just starting to get annoying at this point. So I figure it would be best if I just came here to ask the experts.
I really want to upgrade my current set of cans for at least an "entry" audiophile over ear pair while still being under about $150. I like phones that are really versatile and dont' focus on just one genre too heavily but I also want something that isn't too light in certain areas (IE; recessed mids or whatever)
Along with this, portability is a big thing as I'll be using them DJ'ing while traveling and on my ipod. And I guess it sort of goes without saying with portability, closed back is preferable. I've been doing a lot of research on all these and while I often come back to the unofficial headphone of this site, the Audio Technica ATH M50s, the biggest problem with them I have is that they're not really portable (so I hear) and that there are a lot of comparable or better phones out now in the same price range.
So I've ended up narrowing it down to a couple of models that seem very well respected in the audiophile community.
The Denon DNHP1000's, Ultrasone DJ1 Pro S Logic, and the Technics RPDH1200 are the two that seem to have the highest reviews and would be perfect for my use, unless someone were to point out another headphone that would be better.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[snowshoe]

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Shure 940's would be great for classical as they're extremely detailed and neutral. I have a barely used pair for sale if you're interested.

Thanks! I had been looking at the 840s but just wasn't sure. That's a good price on the 940s but I'd imagine that once shipping from Aus to the US is factored in, I'd be well beyond my price range.

 

[KG Jag]

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Quote:

But then the HE 500 is not a portable headphone in any sense--too big, too heavy, doesn't fold, has thick long cord (although it is detachable) and is too hard to drive.

True, at 89.5 dB efficiency they aren't exactly easy to drive. I personally think if you're looking for something high end on the go, it's hard to beat the matchup of the HE400 and the FiiO E17. It gets as loud as anyone would ever want and the Bass goes on for days. The true test of any Amp is how it handles Bass. That's where the E17 really shines. Taut, DEEP, controlled Bass. FiiO should be proud to put out such quality at such a reasonable price. They could easily charge more. 
 
ETA: To the owners of FiiO: You next BIG product is going to be the NEW and improved E17 which will have everything it has now, but also include a Midrange Tone Control and give it the same POWER output of the new E12. You could charge $249.00 for it all day long and people would be lining up to buy them. I know I would. 

 
In fact an audiophile or near audiophile amp must do much more.  It must reproduce all frequencies with (more or less) uncolored accuracy.  It must be able to reproduce the details of the music/sounds put into it and it must provide a sound stage with great depth and quality--just for starters.
 
There's nothing wrong with a good Chevy or Ford, especially for the price.  However, it will never be a Caddy or Mercedes.

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

Thanks! I had been looking at the 840s but just wasn't sure. That's a good price on the 940s but I'd imagine that once shipping from Aus to the US is factored in, I'd be well beyond my price range.

Yeah, once you factor shipping in it'd be around $260 AUD. It's ashame shipping is so expensive here.

 

[KG Jag]

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Quote:

I got those refurbed Amperiors and it's a good way to to go.  The Amperiors are basically an improved HD25-1 II.  See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/most-excellent-sennheiser-amperior-and-hd-25-1-ii
 
The M80 are good bass oriented cans without going all the way to basshead territory. See:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/v-moda-crossfade-m-80-and-v-80-true-blood-headphones
 
Haven't heard the $100 UE4000.  There are reports of the cable falling out.

One (hopefully final!) question! I was about to buy the Amperiors when a friend suggested the Audio Technica ES7. They're about $60 cheaper than the Amperiors and can be bought new from buydig.
http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ATHES7BK
 
How do these compare? I haven't been able to find a frequency response graph for these, and I wasn't sure whether they would meet my expectations (though reviews have been very good). Though not as important, they do look really nice and are really compact.

They are very nice cans but not in the same class as the Amperior--nor should they be given the normal price spread between them.
 
The Amperior is my favorite portable can, although I also like the Beyer DT 1350 and Audio Technica ATHESW9A.

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

 
In fact an audiophile or near audiophile amp must do much more.  It must reproduce all frequencies with (more or less) uncolored accuracy.  It must be able to reproduce the details of the music/sounds put into it and it must provide a sound stage with great depth and quality--just for starters.
 
There's nothing wrong with a good Chevy or Ford, especially for the price.  However, it will never be a Caddy or Mercedes.

Sloppy bass is a deal breaker right off the bat for me. I've tried some very expensive Amps that had poor dampening characteristics and very poor control over the Bass. I've found it's far easier to find an amp with a smooth top end, that's easy. Making a small amp with enough power  and dampening to control the Bass is a lot tougher. It's the first thing I listen for in any Amp.  As for the last part of your post... The worst car I ever owned was a Mercedes. Price and Brand Name is never an indication of quality. Especially when it comes to Audio equipment. 

 

[KG Jag]

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Hi all. I have been going round in circles looking for a set of full-size headphones, so I figured I should stop with my obsessive research (for now) and get some input from those in the know. I currently own two sets of fairly cheap cans, AKG K81DJ and some Sennheiser's I can't remember the name of. Both are not really satisfactory, particularly the AKGs which I liked at first but now find to be too bass heavy and uncomfortable. To give you a sense of the sound signature that I like, my favorite pair of 'phones right now are my Klipsch x10i's. Basically, I like neutral. I am especially fussy about bass - I want to hear mids and highs clearly. I listen to a pretty broad range of music. About 30% of my music collection is contemporary/C20th classical, some of which really requires a sensitive speaker to be heard properly, 20% is classical before C20. I also listen to a lot of electronic music like Dubstep (Burial, Four Tet, etc), Drum 'n Bass, ambient (in the Aphex Twin/Orb vein), etc. Soul, RnB, Jazz (Ragtime to present) also make up a big part of my music collection. I listen almost exclusively on my computer (Macbook pro) via a Fiio E7. Most of my music has been ripped to FLAC...
 
What I'm looking for: they need to be closed, unfortunately. I don't think an open pair would suit me right now for various reasons. I'd prefer them to cost ~$150. I've been perusing the trade forums here so recommendations above that might be okay if I can find them for less somehow. I'd like them to be comfortable to wear for fairly long periods of time.
 
Looking forward to what you come up with!

http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=ATHA900XRB
code DIG5 = $125.

Just be sure he knows that these are factory refurbished.

 

[KG Jag]

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Quote:

 
In fact an audiophile or near audiophile amp must do much more.  It must reproduce all frequencies with (more or less) uncolored accuracy.  It must be able to reproduce the details of the music/sounds put into it and it must provide a sound stage with great depth and quality--just for starters.
 
There's nothing wrong with a good Chevy or Ford, especially for the price.  However, it will never be a Caddy or Mercedes.

Sloppy bass is a deal breaker right off the bat for me. I've tried some very expensive Amps that had crappy Bass. I've found it's far easier to find an amp with a smooth top end, that's easy. As for the last part of your post... The worst car I ever owned was a Mercedes. Price is never an indication of quality. 

Yeah is it is; it's just not enough to tell the whole tail by itself.
 
Have you heard the $249 Schiit Asgard (1 or 2), Matrix M-Stage, or going up the price ladder the HiFiMan EF5 or any Burson?
 
BTW: I'll bet your Mercedes wasn't a new one--and/or maybe an SUV.

 

[dryvadeum]

Quote:

Sloppy bass is a deal breaker right off the bat for me. I've tried some very expensive Amps that had poor dampening characteristics and very poor control over the Bass. I've found it's far easier to find an amp with a smooth top end, that's easy. Making a small amp with enough power  and dampening to control the Bass is a lot tougher. It's the first thing I listen for in any Amp.  As for the last part of your post... The worst car I ever owned was a Mercedes. Price and Brand Name is never an indication of quality. Especially when it comes to Audio equipment. 

What about the C & C BH portable amp? I've heard that's a lot better than the Fiio E11.

 

[KG Jag]

Quote:

Hi all. I have been going round in circles looking for a set of full-size headphones, so I figured I should stop with my obsessive research (for now) and get some input from those in the know. I currently own two sets of fairly cheap cans, AKG K81DJ and some Sennheiser's I can't remember the name of. Both are not really satisfactory, particularly the AKGs which I liked at first but now find to be too bass heavy and uncomfortable. To give you a sense of the sound signature that I like, my favorite pair of 'phones right now are my Klipsch x10i's. Basically, I like neutral. I am especially fussy about bass - I want to hear mids and highs clearly. I listen to a pretty broad range of music. About 30% of my music collection is contemporary/C20th classical, some of which really requires a sensitive speaker to be heard properly, 20% is classical before C20. I also listen to a lot of electronic music like Dubstep (Burial, Four Tet, etc), Drum 'n Bass, ambient (in the Aphex Twin/Orb vein), etc. Soul, RnB, Jazz (Ragtime to present) also make up a big part of my music collection. I listen almost exclusively on my computer (Macbook pro) via a Fiio E7. Most of my music has been ripped to FLAC...
 
What I'm looking for: they need to be closed, unfortunately. I don't think an open pair would suit me right now for various reasons. I'd prefer them to cost ~$150. I've been perusing the trade forums here so recommendations above that might be okay if I can find them for less somehow. I'd like them to be comfortable to wear for fairly long periods of time.
 
Looking forward to what you come up with!

New at or near your price point, I'd suggest Shure SRH 840.

 

[bareyb]

Quote:

Yeah is it is; it's just not enough to tell the whole tail by itself.
 
Have you heard the $249 Schiit Asgard (1 or 2), Matrix M-Stage, or going up the price ladder the HiFiMan EF5 or any Burson?
 
BTW: I'll bet your Mercedes wasn't a new one--and/or maybe an SUV.
 

Well that's an odd thing to say... I've never had a used car and no, it wasn't an SUV. It was however, unreliable and a poor performer compared to my Lexus. Which cost less and is twice the car. Which kind of makes my point. Just because other folks say something is "best" doesn't make it so.
 
I do agree the Asgard 2 is a fine Amp. It's just too big and runs too hot to make it feasible for use in my scenario.I have no problem spending money if it's going to get me something better. I just am not convinced that in this case, throwing more money into a portable setup is going to make it any better. I compared the E17 to another Portable Amp and there was no contest. The E17 kicked it's little ass.  
 
If I were planning a desktop listening station then we might have something to talk about. An Asgard is not a portable solution by any stretch, but I wouldn't mind one if it was going to sit on my desk and not move. 
 
ETA: Tale. Tail is what you get when you go out drinking on a Saturday night.